Food

Nesting

Nest Placement

Nesting Facts

Behavior

In the Aerial Display, the male flutters upward to a height of about 10 meters (33 feet) and then descends, teetering on outstretched wings held back to display the vivid white lining, with its white-and-black-patterned tail fanned, and issuing a tinkling, warbling song.Back to top

Conservation

McCowan's Longspur declined by over 4% per year between 1966 and 2014, resulting in a cumulative decline of 88%, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 600,000 with 77% spending some part of the year in the U.S., 23% breeding in Canada, and 42% wintering in Mexico. The species rates a 13 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score. McCowan's Longspur is a U.S.-Canada Stewardship species and is on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List, which lists bird species that are at risk of becoming threatened or endangered without conservation action. Back to top

Credits

North American Bird Conservation Initiative. 2014. The State of the Birds 2014 Report. US Department of Interior, Washington, DC, USA.